Chris Benoit: A Tarnished Legacy
by The Heartbreak Babe
Summary: Never before has the WWE faced such odds over the death of one of their own. Here, the Chairman of the company, Vince McMahon, wrestles with an uncertain future that's stranger than fiction.


**Chris Benoit: A Tarnished Legacy**

**Author:** Vicky (The Heartbreak Babe)

**Story:** Never before has the WWE faced such odds over the death of one of their own. Here, the Chairman of the company, Vince McMahon, wrestles with an uncertain future that's stranger than fiction.

**Time Period:** A little before the Chris Benoit Tribute Show.

**Note:** This is something that's been on my mind for a while. I've been wondering what could be going through Vince's mind and this is my interpretation. I don't want to make it seem like I'm glamorizing it at all. These are hard times, and I just feel that writing about it will help soothe the pain and confusion. This is going to be very short. At most three to five chapters. I hope the title is not offensive, but it's true. Chris' legacy has been tarnished because of this.

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**Chapter 1: The News**

Over the course of my reign as the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, I have seen some strange things. I've seen Bobby Heenan crossdress in the name of entering our building to see a show. I was there when Dawn Marie pulled an Anna Nicole and married a man who was old enough to be her grandfather. I wasn't too far behind when Kane turned up the heat, literally, on Jim Ross. I even watched as The Undertaker attempted to marry my daughter, Stephanie. Oh, and that time Roddy Piper painted half of his face black in the name of "black power"? Yeah, I witnessed that, too. But unlike the situation with Chris Benoit, these were storylines. These weren't meant to be taken seriously. I gave the OK for these scenarios to happen. But this front page news story surrounding the man we all referred to as "The Rabid Wolverine"? A story such as this would've never seen the light of day on WWE TV.

I know that the timing with the fictional death of my Mr. McMahon character was off. Four days after my character apparently "died" in a limo explosion, our very own Sensational Sherri passed away. No one saw that coming. In 2005, she returned to WWE TV on what we call "the blue show" - Smackdown. We had her come out with Kurt Angle, who was still under contract with us at the time, to further his WrestleMania feud with Shawn Michaels. A year later, we awarded her with a spot on our Hall of Fame. She was so cheerful and yet so nervous during the Ceremony. Everyone was so happy for her. She was a woman to be respected and we felt horrible when we heard the news. But still, I continued my storyline. I know that it may not make sense to see it from my perspective, but I felt that I had no choice. Three of my main draws - Triple H, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels - were out on injury and I had lost some fans because of that. I felt that a whodunit storyline involving myself would suffice until my wrestlers returned and those same fans who vowed not to watch another show until their heroes came back would be too curious to resist watching. I don't know. Maybe it was a sign of things to come. It's easy to think that way after the fact.

On that fateful day, Monday, June 25, 2007, the WWE, our fans, and the rest of the world were startled by the incoming news: Chris Benoit had died. But it wasn't just him. His wife Nancy and their son Daniel had passed as well. No one knew what to think. Last week, we heard the news about Sherri and not a moment too soon we lost not only Chris, but his family as well. We were too rocked to figure out _what_ to think.

That night, I had planned for us to air a three-hour Monday Night Raw, dealing with my fictional death. We'd planned to use a lot of humor throughout the show because the majority of our audience was in on the joke. We even had shirts made with the words "I Did It" planted on the front. I was very excited to see how it would turn out, but with the passing of the Benoit family, I knew that we couldn't continue. I immediately scrapped the project and told the production crew to begin clipping together some of his most memorable in-ring performances. I also instructed them to use footage from Chris' "Hard Knocks" DVD. Meanwhile, I was going to group all of my wrestlers, divas, referees, ring announcers, commentators, and everyone else together to tell them the dreadful news.

It was something no father would want to tell his children. As I looked into the worried eyes of my employees, I knew that I had to step aside as their boss and speak to them as that father figure in the midst of all of this. I knew that I had to be calm with my words and give the friends and co-workers of Chris Benoit time to grieve. It wasn't going to be easy. As I began my speech with tears forming in my eyes, I knew that the sea of talent knew that something bad had happened to one of their own. They were veterans of this assembly. They were down this road two years ago with Eddie Guerrero and some of the people seated here were here concering Curt Hennig, Crash Holly, and Owen Hart. Still, I went on, because it only seemed appropriate for them to hear it from me first.

There was not a dry eye in the room. Every man and woman gathered here wept for a man they were accustomed to seeing on a regular basis. They wept for his wife and son as they realized that they'd never see their smiling faces again. At this point, it didn't matter how their lives ended. The time would come when we'd need answers, when we'd need an explanation as to how or why. But for now, we just needed our quiet space.

Before I left them to grieve, I made mention of the fact that a tribute show was in the works and if they wanted to tape their innermost feelings on Chris, they were more than welcome to.

As I began to return to the production area, a crewman alerted me to the fact that some fans had already begun to fill the stands. I peeked through the curtain from the Gorilla Position to see for myself. They all seemed eager to be here. Each of them wore bright smiles on their faces as they refreshed themselves with their chosen beverage. _They don't know_, I thought. For this unhappy occasion, it just didn't seem apropriate to be surrounded by so many people. I hated to do it, but it was necessary at this time.

"They can't be here. Send them home." I commanded the crewman.

Just as soon as he moved to execute that command, I put my hand in front of him.

"Nevermind. I'll do it."

I had already dug a hole for myself by staging my on-screen character's death. If he were to go out there, the fans would assume that it was a move related to the storyline. By going out there myself, they would know that this is not a part of the script. I took a deep breath and headed out into the spotlight. It was the second time tonight that I had to address a great number of people about this tragedy...but someone had to do it.When I came out and walked to the ring, I was quite startled to hear a chorus of "Boos". Moreso than that, there was a "You're not dead" chant brewing in the stands. I also saw some people look at me in concern as if they knew that something wasn't entirely right. After all, I wasn't coming out to my music nor was I taunting them with my trademark strut. _The show hasn't started_, they must've thought to themselves, _why is he here?_ As I stepped between the ropes, I grabbed a mic and addressed the small crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." I said in a small, yet calm voice. "I regret to inform you that Chris Benoit and his family have passed away."

A wave of gasps soon followed as I stuggled to continue.

"This is not a part of the storyline. From what we know, their bodies were found in their homes in Fayette County, Georgia earlier today and a full investigation is underway. As a result, I ask that you all return to your homes as we mourn their loss. I have taken into account that you all have spent a hefty amount of money to attend tonight's show and we will reschedule this in the near future. Tonight's three hour Raw will now be a tribute to the memories of Chris, his wife Nancy, and their son Daniel. Until then, take care of yourselves."

As I stood by to make sure that every fan left the arena, I recalled just how two years ago, we were down this road with Eddie Guerrero.

"Now they are back together." I softly said to myself as I exited the ring and foresaw the production of tonight's show.

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Take care and God bless!

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End file.
